The Face Behind the Mask
by Die Verliebte Zwei
Summary: Sly has finally given up theiving and settled down as a family with Carmelita, though their firey-hearted son isn't willing to give up the legacy yet. Accompanied by his childhood friend, Ladron has more than just his heists to worry about... -Shonen-ai-
1. Fate

Ladron leaned on the sill of his window now locked and barred, courtesy of the PPD and their favors to his mother, Carmelita Fox. He had been sent up to his room as result of picking the pockets of his godfathers, Bentley and Murray. He had also managed to steal Bentley's glasses right off his nose a few times which normally would have warranted praise from his father, though his mother and godfathers begged to differ and he got stuck in his room and tried to toggle the window open...

He sat after a minute, thinking about both of his parents and how his mom had always tried to stop him from acting like his father; Sly Cooper, the great thief. His father had told him countless stories of his adventures with his godfathers; all the priceless pieces of art he had stolen, all of his adventures; and stories about the cop that had always been on his tail; Carmelita; his mother. His mom had always told him that his father exaggerated many of the stories told, but Bentley had always affirmed that every word was true, especially the parts about himself.

Thief blood ran through his veins, and he had always admired his father. He stood back up and went back to the window, taking a key out of his pocket that he had stolen from his mother several weeks ago (he was pretty sure that his father knew he had it, though.) and fiddled with the key and padlock until he heard a faint click and the lock popped open. "Yes!" he whispered to himself, opening up the bars on the window to let in the warm cold draft and droplets of rain from an oncoming storm.

He slid out of the window, moving along the roof and jumping down the two floors and landing lithely and silently... He moved around the house and ducked under the window where his parents and his father's friends sat laughing with each other. He continued moving until he came to his parents' room; he smirked to himself as he saw the window was unlocked and slipped in, looking around with a cautious position, should he give his position away... "Now... If I were a book, where would my dad hide me...?"

Pacing around the room, he thought of all the places where a thief would hide something from a thief... in a safe? Nah, any thief could open a safe. Even him. In a secret underground lair? Nah, everyone'd expect that... where could it be?

He snapped his fingers as an idea came to his head. Under the bed! A place so obvious, no one would think to look there! He dove to the ground, pushing away the sheets until he came across... something. Whatever it was, it was big, green, and covered in fuzzy, thick mold... Whatever this... thing... was, it had obviously been there for a while, and neither of his parents had bothered to clean it up. An air freshener sitting next to it was enough proof of the fact that they dared not touch it.

He grimaced as he pushed the thing aside, vowing to wash his fur off ASAP... He found what he was looking for quickly right behind the moldy salami... The theivus raccoonus, archive for the Cooper family. He had a memory of hearing his parents argue about destroying it. It was a precious family heirloom but one that stood against what Carmelita stood for as a cop. He slid out the window as he heard footsteps approaching and winced painfully as he heard his mother scream his name... That woman certainly had a temper...

Deciding that making a run for it would be the best decision at this point, that's what he did. Jumping the high iron fence that surrounded their house, traveling along tree branches and rooftops. The storm was really starting to pick up, so seeking shelter was his first priority. He found a balcony, high above the streets where he would be able to se his parents coming from any direction, and sat down beneath the shelter of the patio roof. He had managed to keep the book dry, though, which was the most important thing if he was going to train himself to be a thief. It's aged cover and leather bindings looked old enough that they could fall apart at any time, but the book was as strong as the day it was started as a family thievery archive. He opened the book, leafing through the pages.

He sensed movement on the roof behind him and flattened himself against the wall, intent on avoiding being seen before he saw whoever it was who was nearby... He moved quickly to the narrow ledge as a cloaked figure jumped down from the roof and spun around. Obviously whoever this was had seen him and was looking for where he had gone... "Who the heck..." Ladron whispered to himself as he held the book tightly to himself, in between himself and the wall so his body protected it from the rain despite its heavy durability. He prayed silently that the figure wouldn't notice him...

The figure pulled off his hood; another raccoon. Dark fur filled his face, lighter strands around his mouth and almost black fur around his yellow eyes. Whoever this guy was, he was serious. That, and seriously creepy. He took a quick look around again, and then jumped up to the roof of the patio. Ladron gave a sigh of relief as the figure left his sight range, but his relief was short-lived as the other raccoon jumped from the roof to the ledge that Ladron was standing on, a knowing smirk on his face. The younger decided to make a run for it, jumping back to the balcony as the other followed close behind him.

As he turned along a chimney, the darker raccoon blocked him off, a ringed tail swaying with the same emotion as the condescending smirk the raccoon sent Ladron. Meanwhile, Ladron did his best to hide the book behind his narrow body and in the darkness's tight embrace. "Who are you?" He took a step back and the other one countered by stepping forward...

"My name isn't important, but I know yours, Ladron Cooper, and your lengthy family line. Hand over the book, and I just might let you go without a fight..."

Ladron pressed himself closer to the wall, the edges of the book digging into his back. Who was this guy, and why did he want the Thevius Raccoonus? Ok, the second question was stupid… what thief _didn't_ want the book? Ladron shook his head in response. "Do you really think I'm stupid enough to give this to you?" he asked, getting a cocky grin on his face. Maybe he could weasel his way out of this situation just like he did with his parents.

The foreign raccoon mirrored Ladron's grin and came uncomfortably close, forcing Ladron to step back again. "From that blank look on your face and the fact I found you so quickly, the thought had crossed my mind." Ladron couldn't help be somewhat intimidated by the growl-like actions of the elder raccoon and decided to make a break for it, rushing in a flip above the other one and jumping nimbly on a light-wire... "Facing mum is better than this guy..."

Running along the string of lights, the other close behind, Ladron used every trick he knew to get away. Turning tight corners, jumping from rooftops to alleyways to back again, up a pipe, down another string of lights, but the other just kept up the pursuit; and if anything, gaining on him. He stumbled over his own feet as he flew into an alleyway, tripping into a pile of wet, thrown-out newspapers as his pursuer laughed at him, stopping in front of him to look down with a mocking smirk. "Yeah, I know I fell..." Ladron said to the one before him. "You don't have to laugh at me for it..." he said, placing a glare on his own face, as menacing as he could get it to be (even though his best was pathetic). He hugged the book closer to his chest.

The other leaned in and laid a hand on the book, though his palm was nearly flat on his chest and his condescending expression didn't fail as he gripped it tightly, ripping it out of Ladron's hands as if he had been a child.. Ladron jumped up as he tried to keep hold of the book. "Who the hell are you!" Ladron rushed forward to attack him and the other just swept to the side with a grin, the book now under his arm... "I'll give you something to bring back home cub... My name is Simon. Thanks for the literature." he made a short hand gesture and jumped up to the roof, Ladron scowling in his wake...

Ladron took off after him, determined not to loose something so important. 'Oh, god…. I am _so _gonna be grounded for this….' He thought as he chased Simon over the rooftops of the city. The storm's winds were stronger, nearly blowing Ladron off of the roofs and wires many times, but he kept chasing him. Jumping up to a level above Simon, he continued to chase him on the many wires above the city streets, never loosing sight of the darker raccoon. Eventually, he caught up with him enough to jump, landing in front of Simon as the other stopped in front of him, yelling "Give back that book!"

Simon's grin hardly faded as Ladron landed in front of him though it did stop him in his tracks. "You still here, cub? I would've thought I left you in the dust ages ago." Ladron pulled his best cocky smirk as he stood there, contemplating how he could get the book away from Simon. The other raccoon was obviously older, bigger, and may even have a concealed weapon beneath that cloak while all of Ladron's gadgets and his fathers crook were confiscated for bad behavior. Simon took advantage of his thoughtful pause, pinning him against the wall of a nearby corner spire.

Ladron's face flushed as he yelled at Simon, "Get away from me, you freak!", and then realized that away was defiantly NOT where he wanted him if he wanted the Thevius Raccoonus back. Simon pushed him against the wall, pressing himself closer to the boy as well, their faces close together.

"Or what?" he asked, knowing what was going through Ladron's mind. "Or you'll keep yelling at me? _Threaten _me? I think not…" He moved his hand to Ladron's shoulder, tracing the boy's collarbone with a black gloved finger. "You obviously can't let me just leave… if you want the book, that is… have you made up your mind yet?"

"What the hell do you mean by that! And what am I supposed to make my mind up about!" Ladron's face flushed even further as he grew uncomfortable with Simon's close proximity... His eyes darted searching for a way to escape the other raccoon. He settled on slipping between Simon's left arm and leg, luckily picking the right side and grabbing the book as he rushed away, dazed for a moment before rushing back. The first place he could think to get help, and probably the only place… Back home… He shuddered at the thought.

Running back towards the direction of his house, he heard Simon behind him; not too close, but not too far away. He headed straight for his home, jumping the fence and almost having to plug his ears to block out his mother's screams from the front porch.

"Just WHAT do you think you're doing, young man? _Stealing _the Thevius Raccoonus from our room; running away; you'll be lucky if you're not grounded for the rest of your life!" Her face was going red as she yelled, Ladron running up to his father, hurriedly placing the book in his hands, then turning to face the direction he had came from.

As Ladron whipped around there was no sign of Simon... The harsh reality of his actions hit him in the face like a wet towel. He slowly turned around to face his livid parents... "I can explain..." Carmelita grabbed an ear and pulled him forward harshly. "Like hell you can! I don't know why you bothered to come back!"

When his mother finally let go of his aching ear he was back in his room, the window now fitted with a code lock combined with a card-key and retina scanner... "Bentley you've outdone yourself... "Gotta wonder if even Dad could get past this lock..." he slumped on the bed and into a few giant pillows (like in FAKE XD) as he stared out the window and through the bars... "There's got to be something illegal in this I swear..."

After he his mind finally registered his current defeat, he turned over, staring at the ceiling. Who was that guy and why did he want the book? Sure, every thief wanted the Thevius Raccoonus, but this guy had obviously done his homework… He even knew Ladron's name; where he was and when he would be there… Like a stalker. And like a trademark stalker, he was kinda creepy… did he _really _have to get that close, even after he had the book at the time? A slight blush crept into his face as he remembered being against the wall, subconsciously bringing his hand up to his collarbone.

Ladron blushed harder and slid down into the bed, angry at himself for letting himself be caught unawares so easily. "There's no way I can let that weirdo stop me from becoming a world-class thief like my dad was." He turned over again, a habit he's always had of being unable to sleep without facing the window and tried to force the memory of Simon's close encounter from his mind as he tried to fall asleep, but he had a suspicious feeling that the shadows of the buildings of Paris weren't the only shadows sitting outside of his window…


	2. A Second Encounter

OMG! We got a review! Sorry it's been so long since we put a chapter… we've had it written for a long time (since before we put up the first chapter), but We've been too lazy to put it up. Not to mention we've been working on some other fics as well… coughErolxJakcough

Sorry if some of you people don't like yaoi… The two of us are kinda obsessed with it… as in, we need a life… head-desk

Well, hope you enjoy the chapter!

The next morning

"No means NO, Ladron! You disobeyed your father and I-"A cough from Sly "-well, you disobeyed _me_, and you're going to pay the consequences! You know better than that, and if we just let you get away with everything, you're never going to learn!" Carmelita's face was still angry-looking from last night. Ladron had heard her yelling until at least 2 in the morning, his father the sane one of the two keeping a quiet tone the entire time. Murray and Bentley had slid out the door at around 9 PM, thinking it was best to stay out of the conversation.

"But mom, what am I going to do if I'm locked in my room all day?" he asked, his voice desperate.

"Carmelita… " Sly started out, his eyes closed and hand on his head; a sign that they had run out of aspirin the night before, and spoke calmly to his wife. "Let the boy at _least_ have the freedom to be out of his room. I bet he wouldn't run away again if he knows it'll be like this. _Right, Ladron?" _ He asked, Ladron nodding furiously.

Ladron grinned triumphantly and slipped past his mother, hopping backward in a strangely graceful way. He grinned at his dad in thanks and turned too bound down the stairs. "You're confined to the inside of the garden. And don't even think of trying to climb it, I've got it pressure sensitive in randomized spots Ladron so- Hey!" Ladron was grinning excessively as he was already halfway out the door. "I hear ya mum!" He rushed to get to the tiny garden in back so she couldn't properly follow and leaned on the wall with a grin, panting softly from running away...

He looked around the small garden, feeling lucky that he got even _this_ much freedom after what he had done the previous night. So he agreed that stealing the book wasn't the smartest idea, but at least he had his own adventure for once; out on his own, running away from someone trying to catch him, just like his father. Ok, so maybe his father had been chased by a girl instead, but it was the same aspect, right? Oh wait… they'd gotten married….

He shuddered at the image of that mysterious Simon in a tuxedo and him in a wedding dress that filled his mind. "Ok, that's one thing I don't want to turn out like my dad's adventures…" He said to himself, jumping up to sit on the lowest tree branch of the tall maple tree in his yard.

He heard a soft rustle in the brush below him automatically jumping up to a cautious position and flattening himself against the tree's trunk. "Show yourself Simon." A girl tumbled from the brush with a goofy grin though her eyes were questioning... "Who's this Simon Ladron, you finally decide that you're gay after all the girls you've turned down? Not to mention me." Her voice had developed twice as fast as her body and though she still appeared as innocent and soft as a little child, her voice was deep and misleading. The little bobcat was known for chasing Ladron to the point of stalking. Ladron relaxed and sat on the branch, one foot tucked beneath his leg as the other hung down. "Why don't you go play, siñorita? I have better things to do than chit-chat."

"Such as what, Ladron? I see that you're chained up here after that incident with your new boyfriend last night….What else are you going to do but sit here?" She asked, climbing up to the next lowest branch to sit beside him, a smile on her face.

"Wha-? B-boyfriend? What are you talking about? H-he just tried to steal the Thevi- I mean a book of my parent's from me! He's not my boyfriend!" Ladron almost screamed, completely spazing out. His face was bright red from blushing.

"Then what were you two doing so… _close_ _together _last night?" she asked a smirk in her voice as she watched Ladron blush and stutter excuses.

Ladron managed to turn his nervous tic into a dark scowl and his blush appeared more like a flush of anger. "And how exactly would you know what I have been through last night? You've been stalking me again haven't you Ana?" Anastasia just leaned back on the branch with a relaxed expression and her eyes closed, obviously far more comfortable with insinuating questions than Ladron was. "I just happened to hear you're parents talking Ladron. Don't flatter yourself." She cracked her right eye open to look at him with a grin. "Besides, what were you doing that's such a secret huh?"

His blush had disappeared from his face almost completely, and he closed his eyes in order to completely calm himself down. "For your information, Ana, I took the Thevius Raccoonus from my parent's room last night, PROOVING I am the ultimate thief… I mean, who else can steal from a thief?" He asked with a smug grin on his face, which Ana thought was rather stupid. He snuck in through an open window and snatched the book from under the bed; not that much of an achievement. She had watched his flee from Simon, though; _that_ she thought to be slightly impressive.

"You mean to say that you take one thing from your parent's room and you declare yourself a master thief? That's rather pathetic, don't you think?"

Ladron's smug smile dissipated in a moment. He climbed up to the highest branch that would support him. Then jumped off and floated on an old cooper parachute he had managed to keep from his dad, landing just beyond the gate. "I don't need to hear this."

He started walking away and Anastasia tried to follow. Instead going for her rout beneath the fence "What about your parents! They told you not to leave the garden!" Ladron waved her off as he jumped onto the roof.

"Since when do I ever listen to them?"

"But Ladron, what happens when they find out that you're gone! You'll be grounded for even longer!" she yelled over the fence, climbing up the tree as well. She peeked over the top of the large fence, keeping an eye on her old friend as she continued to climb, jumping over herself and landing on her feet.

"When _aren't _I grounded, Ana?" He asked with sarcasm in his voice. It was true, there was rarely a time when he hadn't done something wrong in long enough a time so that he wasn't grounded. But that had never stopped him from doing anything before, why now? "Besides, I wanna find that guy and make him _pay_ for trying to steal the book from me. Wanna help? I might even let you have a swing at him." He asked, his tone of voice playful.

She rolled her eyes at him, but continued to follow all the same.

She skipped curtly to catch up with him and matched his pace since she was slightly shorter than him. "And you wonder why so many girls are after you... You may be an effeminate moron but you do have your father in you and history states he was quite the playboy." She jumped ahead and flicked him on the forehead tauntingly. Ladron smirked sideways at her and pushed her aside darkly...

"Why don't you go tell him that and I'll come back home to collect your remains in a matchbox after mother is through with you. I have no interest in dating. I have more important things to do..."

Ana grinned at him, unfazed by his disregard. "Like go chase you're boyfriend?"

He temporarily stopped in his tracks, blushing at the comment, but brushed it off and continued walking a minute later. "He's _not_ my boyfriend…" Ana heard him mumble under his breath.

"Oh, come off it, Ladron. It's obvious that you like him by how much you blush when I even _mention_ him…" she said, giving her friend a playful shove as they walked down the street. He shoved her back, continuing this while they talked. "I mean, look at you! You're completely flustered just talking about him! Talk about love at first sight!"

"I-I'm not f-flustered!" he stammered, shaking his head, then turning to look at his feet.

"My, my… I had no idea I had made such an impression, Ladron…"

As Ana subtly admired Simon, Ladron didn't waste a moment, jumping up the pole, absolutely livid and near growling. He jumped on the roof adjacent to the lamp and had pretty much forgotten Anastasia was there... "Do you have any idea what I went through when you chased me back home! You could've had the decency to take the blame…" He would've hit himself for not thinking before he spoke. Simon on the other hand just seemed amused.

"Oh, so you took the blame for me? How sweet…" he said, resting his chin in his hand. "But you know… _you're_ the one who stole the book in the first place. You would have gotten in trouble, anyways… why blame it on me?" A self-assured grin was on Simon's face as he spoke, looking Ladron in the eyes.

Ladron couldn't help but stare back, his face still flushed from anger and the sight of Simon. "W-well you… um… you tried to steal the book from me! If you would have at least had the backbone to follow me all the way back home last night, I wouldn't have taken _all _the blame! I can still yell at you for that!"

Ana whooped in the background and Ladron sent her a glare that would make his mother of all people back down... Surprisingly, Simon seemed to agree and Ladron's glare was interrupted as he slipped a hand around Ladron's waist, an action Ladron tried to punch Simon for... He was jerked out of his aim by Simon's movement and growled darkly at Simon's audacity, knowing that Anastasia wouldn't let him hear the end of it for a long time...

"You know, Ladron… you're rather cute when you're angry…" Simon said, taking hold of the other's hand, intertwining their fingers. To his surprise, Ladron didn't object. If anything, he blushed a bit more. "You could be a great thief… I'll give you that. But training under the influence of your father isn't going to teach you anything but the Cooper way of thieving. I could teach you everything I know… all the secrets I've learned from many great thieves. And we could be partners in crime… You could truly become a master thief… I mean, just look at me! I've already stolen your heart…" he almost whispered the last part, tightening his grip around Ladron's waist. "Just imagine… planning out heists together… stealing together… _sleeping _under the open stars together…"

Ladron pushed him away harshly, staring at the tiles in his embarrassment, unable to look Simon in the eye... "What the hell are you talking about! I hardly know you... AND I'M NOT GAY DAMMIT!" He mumbled to himself as an afterward. "Despite what Ana would say about me..." He took a step back with Simon's knowing smile...

"But I know you Ladron... I've stolen secrets from the best, and your father is retired… Married to a cop even. He won't miss his dusty old book and from how he and your mother treat you, he probably won't miss you either..."

Tears formed at he corners of Ladron's eyes as he remembered every time his parents had yelled at him… how many times they had sent him to his room for a practical joke or two. For some reason, he couldn't bring himself to find any good things that had happened in the past regarding his parents. But they cared for him…. Right? They would care if he were to take off to become a thief, taking all of his father's family secrets with him… Right? They would care if he chose some complete stranger over them… wouldn't they? They would care….

Simon seemed to read Ladron's mind, closing the space between them to cradle Ladron in his embrace, smiling at how simple it was to convince him... "I care for you Ladron... Come with me." Ladron pushed him away and rushed off, jumping off the roof and turning back the way he came, praying that Anastasia hadn't moved very much from where Simon pulled him away from her. He would get horribly ridiculed by her for getting dragged away by a hand around the waist but things were getting too complicated… He needed to simplify them and she would always support him. She had since they were little.

Ladron didn't look back as he walked back up to Anastasia, drying the tears from his eyes. Why did Simon have to say that? He knew that the older raccoon was trying to convince him to join him; to leave everything else behind; but couldn't he just say that? Did he have to pour salt on the wound?

"Come on… "He whispered to Ana as he walked by, his voice trembling almost. "I wanna get back before… before mom and dad figure out I'm gone…" Ana gave a look of worry, and then looked back at Simon, who was still standing on the roof of the building.

"I'll be coming for your answer, Ladron. You know what your choices are. Now all you have to do is chose the best one." He said, giving a slight bow before jumping backwards off the roof, out of sight.

"What exactly went on between you two?" Anastasia struggled to keep up with the lithe raccoon in front of her, sensing that he had a lot going on in his mind… She pushed him against a wall with her shoulder and pinned him there, holding his shoulder tightly so he would have to look at her face. "Ladron, tell me what the hell he did that spooked you! I haven't seen you this upset since I first asked you out a year ago…"

Ladron stared at her arm, attempting to avoid her eyes. "He wanted me to join him... To become master thieves together… I got the feeling he implied a lot more…"

It was at that moment that Ana ceased being Ladron's friend and reverted into a perverted schoolgirl... "That's so cute! The two of you, disobeying parents will, going into a life of crime together and Living life to its fullest! It's right out of a romance novel!"

Ladron just gave a sigh at this. She was off in her own little world again… Although everything she said was true… except the 'cute' part… That was exactly what Simon wanted; for him to abandon everything for him.

"Well, too bad… it's not going to happen your way, Simon… "He muttered under his breath. Ana gave him a weird look, but continued ranting about how cute they would be together; how he and Simon should share their first kiss in the most romantic place in the world… he was going to have to find a way to shut her up after this. He took off running towards his house, climbing up the drain spout from a neighbor's house and jumping back over to the tree, Ana following after him.

He slipped in and out easily and met Ana half-way, brandishing the book and his father's crook the heirlooms of the cooper family. "Hey Ana, you've always been one for following me on my thieving attempts. Why don't we pair up and run away? You're on your own most of the time anyway…" He smiled brightly and Ana blinked confusedly at his vigor...

"You… You're serious? Are you insane? We're only fourteen!"

"So? My dad ran away from the orphanage he grew up in when he was 12! I don't see why we can't do the same thing. We're old enough to take care of ourselves without our parents, aren't we? We don't need out parents!" He said, a bright smile on his face. His eyes told a different story, though; he was only doing this to prove something, not for himself.

"Why don't you give this some more time, Ladron… This isn't just something you decide to do and set out by yourself five minutes later. If we're going to leave, it's going to take planning… and besides, I don't think you _want_ to leave just yet."

"Fine! You can have a day to decide, but I'm not going to be ridiculed once again by my parents." Ladron jumped over the fence again and climbed up a drain pipe to the rooftop. "I've got what I need and I'll need to brush up on some old cooper tricks if I want to become a topnotch thief. And I'll need to train you somehow too Ana. If you're coming with me that is…" He grinned charmingly out of the corner of his mouth, an expression that earned him more than a few admirers.


	3. Getting to Know One Another

Authors' Notes:

Nik: YUSH! I LIVE!ONE!1111! Oh.. and Kyoko's alive too. pokes. But as I said, reports of our demise were GREATLY exxagerated. We were just reading porn! Right Kyo?

Kyoko: nod nod Nothing better than porn to fill your free time with. starts listening to 'The Internet is for Porn

Nik: surprised silence for a moment Er... Well YES! You see we fell into this wonderful pothole of pretty porn called Y-gallery and... well we sort of forgot this place existed for a while. Whats hilarious is that I'm not even halfway done with the chaptering of what we've done with this fic in the meantime! You little fans are in for a horrendous torture... I mean.. SURPRISE! because We've got at least twenty chapters just waiting!

Kyoko: Twenty-odd chapters and still writing. We have no lives. laughs It's sort of evolved into our own little story instead of a fanfiction, though.

Nik: Eine Geschichte der Liebe nicht mein Herzchen?Sieist gewachsenwie unsere Beziehung...Summerized translation: pervertedgerman flirting.

Kyoko: gives Nik and odd look No habla German... or much Spanish... or any language other than English, for that matter.

Nik: Grins and glomps READ THE STORY!

* * *

Later that night

Laid out all over Ladron's bed were all the gadgets he had acquired over the years, from a paraglide to his father's binocucom. Everything a thief might need for a heist was there and ready to be packed, as well as a few food provisions as well. Books of all sorts were scattered around, those he was planning to bring with him were in a neat pile on his pillow, the Thevius Raccoonus on the bottom of the pile. Ladron stopped tearing through his closet for a minute, leaning against the windowsill, looking around at his room. 'My last night here…' he thought. 'I'm gonna miss a lot of things here… Mom and Dad, too… 'He sighed as he stared at the closed door covered with posters as the cool air behind him sent a chill through him.

He closed his eyes briefly and turned back to the window, slipping out silently with his toys in the hidden belt and pockets of his pants. The cool night air of Paris ran through the fur on his chest as he came out onto the roof, jumping across the power line to the other rooftop and made his way to Ana's house, hanging his head upside down to see if she was in her room, then knocked on the window with a grin as she opened her eyes, them shining gold in the moonlight as many cats' eyes do. She sat up and opened the window, hanging her head out to speak with him. "Are you in or are you out?"

She stared to the side a moment before turning back to him and her eyes got their gleam... "Give me a minute to change."

Ladron looked around Ana's strangely empty room while he waited for her to change. She had a bag packed already, laying on the ground next to a few other things, including a laptop computer, cell phones, and a few other electronic gadgets. Her bag was a light azure color, her favorite, he guessed, seeing the walls painted the same color, a few darker and lighter shades scattered in made it look like a real sky surrounded him inside the room, and like the sun was shining bright, even though it was late at night. A note was left on her bed with a phone number on it (most likely one of the cell phone's numbers). Leave it to Anastasia to be worried about her parents going to the ends of the earth to find her and ground her for running away from home. At least she could explain over the phone, he guessed.

He swung back onto the roof and hung his hands behind his head and closed his eyes leisurely. His relaxation was short-lived however since he felt movement around him and his eyes opened to two golden orbs staring condescendingly into his and dominating him on the spot. Ladron jumped up and swung around into a cautious position as Simon leaned on a chimney with a playful smile. "What the hell are you doing here!" Ladron demanded an answer out of Simon, angry at himself for neglecting to notice the raccoon just inches from his face. "Looking for you of course Ladron. I came for your answer…"

"You want my answer?" he repeated, glaring at Simon with his chocolate brown eyes (not very menacing, ne? Oh well, I'm just trying to be descriptive….) "What do you think my answer will be?" he asked sarcastically.

"Well, it's likely that you'll say no, but I _beg_ you to reconsider, Ladron." Simon said, almost in a seducing voice. Ladron shivered. "I mean, you're going to get nowhere with this girl tagging behind you-"

"I heard that!" Ana yelled from her room, flipping up onto the rooftop to join their small rendezvous. "I am most defiantly _not_ dead weight." She argued, crossing her arms with a stern look on her face. "Ladron wouldn't get _anywhere_ without me, you know."

"Does that mean that I have a rival now?" a now curious Simon asked, taking a step closer to Ladron.

Ladron mirrored Simon's movements with his own step back, his glare unwavering but his body language showed submittance to unease. "And what the hell do you mean by that? A rival of what?" Simon closed their distance quickly with a knowing smile, a hand already up to cup Ladron's cheek lovingly...

"Why, for your love of course." Ladron blushed crimson and almost as a reflex, spun the crook in his right hand around and struck Simon across the face, causing the other raccoon to have a similar red mark just below his eye, though it was only on one side. Simon froze for a moment, as though trying to comprehend what had happened, then blinked calmly and brought a hand to his own cheek as a bang covered the mark. "I suppose I'll need to give you more time. I'll win in the end."

Simon suddenly turned and bolted and Ladron had to realize where he was as well before turning and screaming angrily, "And what the hell do you think you'll be winning!"

Ana just giggled as Ladron fumed and yelled at Simon's receding figure, not caring about the many now-open windows and the hundreds of pairs of eyes staring at him, some yelling. They had been yelling before, too. With as loud as Ladron could be when he yelled, people were bound to stare. (Ladron swore he could have heard someone scream "Kiss him, you fool!" as Simon had proceeded towards him.

"Well… that was interesting." Ana giggled, still absorbed by how cute she thought the two boys were together. "Come on, honey" she said jokingly, pulling on Ladron's arm. "If I'm competing for your love, I'd better act like it!" she laughed, letting go as the raccoon threatened to smack her with the cane as well. "Oh, don't be silly!" she said, heading back towards her window. "I'd never break up a couple as cute as you two!"

"We aren't a couple you jerk!"

a week and a half later

"The gem is directly below you Ladron, set up the wiring, nab the toy and we'll be on our merry way." Ana was set up on the roof of a well known museum in Cairo, her laptop and gadgets were now being put to use as she replaced Bentley on the legendary Cooper team. After a 15 year period of peace, the police started to think they were finally free of the Cooper menace and this dynamic duo shows up and decides to make a flashy entrance... "We have to do this right if we want to keep up the Cooper legacy. You read up on the theivus raccoonus right? RIGHT!"

At the lack of answer Ladron heard a motherly sigh of disappointment through the mike. "The damn thing gets boring alright? You'd think years of thievery those old Coopers could've read some of the quality literature they stole and learned"

"Well, half of the book that they stole were novels or spell books, nothing about thievery! Reading what they stole was likely just a pastime or something they did on the way to another heist. The Thevius Raccoonus is the only thievery record we have, so you _better _have studied it!" She ranted, knowing that Ladron was mocking her the entire time.

"If it makes you feel better, I at least skimmed what I didn't read…" he sighed, still messing with the wiring in the circuitry outlet, trying to take the security offline. "OW! Damnit, why can't things just be easy for once! Why do I always have to get hit by something or shocked or seduced?" He ranted to himself, this time Ana rolling her eyes.

"It's only our first major heist, you know… you don't have _that_ much to complain about yet." She said through the microphone attached to her laptop. "And besides, you got the wires mixed up. Red to black, black to white, white to red. Remember?" Obviously not, seeing as she heard another screech of pain through the speakers.

"Why the hell can't you do this junk? You're the techie." Ladron sighed as he finally got the wiring right. He softly padded forward on covered feet across the lazered field, jumping over the few which he could not disable from the only known control panel Ana had found.

As he reached for the artifact with a triumphant grin he suddenly stopped and whipped around, having heard movement behind him, and his eyes met a very unwanted sight. "I thought I left you back in Paris. You really won't give up on me will you? Following me all this way?"

"Do you really think I would leave someone as alluring as you?" he asked, leaning against a wall. He was more dressed in thief attire this time around, an all-black outfit similar to Ladron's own (which strangely resembled his father's because this particular author got lazy during the current designs she has so far). Simon's yellow, predator-like eyes bored into Ladron's, the younger raccoon attempting to avoid his gaze.

He ended up staring back for about thirty seconds, then turning back to walk to the open window. Simon's face turned from its usual smug look to a combination of worry and anger. "Wait, you idiot!" He yelled, diving towards Ladron, but an alarm had already sounded by the time he had shoved the younger raccoon out of the way, landing on top of him.


	4. Stating Intentions

Authors' Note:

Nik: punches bicep OOOOH! People like that get me so fired up.. I wish I knew where that coward lived so I could go and beat him up for being so stupid! HEY Dummy! If you hate our work so much... DONT READ IT!

Kyoko: I commend the fact that they said we were good writers, but this was just a roleplay... we don't even have a beta for this fic, as it's just something we put together in our spare time. And if you must know, we do have a plot in the works. If you would have waited a few more chapters to flame us, you would have discovered that.

Nik: ... Wait-wait.. did we even tell our readers what we're talking about? Hm... Well you know we were recently flamed by some guy I don't care enough about to look up his username. He said we have writing talent, but are idiots because we don't actually say anything in our fics... In all honesty we really should've said in the beginning that this was just a thing for fun, and a cheap excuse to write fluff. BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE'RE MORONS! I still don't understand the twisted logic behind reading the works of somone you don't like just so you can flame them..

Kyoko: educated flamers, maybe? Who knows. Some people just live to bother others. Perhaps they're one of them. Or perhaps they should try reading it again when we have a revised part, or part with a plot up?

Nik: mystified Do those things exist? It kind of sounds like an oxymoron.. But then.. I've never expirienced the logic of a flamer. I suppose its similar to me not expiriencing the logic of most people, who make such mistakes so obvious to me... Its so hard to sympathized with that sort of person... Oh well. I pray for your brain cells mister educated flamer. Want to get on with the story kyo?

Kyoko; -Nod nod- That sounds good. Here's our next chapter. (note we might be uploading re-vised versions of previous chapters if I get the inspiration to re-write them.)

* * *

"AAH!" Ladron yelled, his face a bright red from seeing Simon sitting on his legs, his back facing the older raccoon. "Get OFF of me! Off, off, OFF!"

"You idiot! After all that training, you stumbled over a simple laser trap?" He yelled, hopping off of Ladron and running over to the control panel, typing in a code of some sort. Seconds later, the windows were barred and the doors were locked from both sides by a thick steel wall (y'know, like in the cartoons). Both of them were locked in.

"At least this will keep the guards from getting to us for a while… until then… we're stuck here…" Yellow eyes closed with a sigh.

"Yea and it'll keep us IN! What the hell are you thinking! You planned this didn't you, you sick fuck!" Ladron let all caution to the wind as he bunched up Simon's collar in his hands, the red in his face actually having turned to a flush of anger rather than the blush it had been when Simon was sitting on him.

Simons own expression was far calmer, as if to counter Ladron's own reaction similar to the caged animal he had become. "Relax Ladron. We only need those guards to think we're in here. I know a way out, but you're going to have to trust me." He grinned devilishly as he held his hands up to show harmlessness.

"Oh like I'm _really_ gonna trust _you._" He retorted, crossing his arms in discontent. "The guy who chased me halfway across the world expects _me_ to believe _him_, when I know for a fact that he's after me, body and soul. I mean, _come on!_ I may be stupid, but I'm not _that_ stupid!" he yelled as Simon just stared at him.

"You know, _can_ be trusted. I'm not some selfish jerk that's only out for his own purposes… at least not all the time." A smirk. "And besides, what other options do you have?" he asked, leaning against the wall again.

"Oh, I know your game!" Ladron yelled. "You're just gonna lead me through the whole museum or to someplace where you know it'll just be the two of us or something! I'm _not_ going to follow you! And besides, I can find my own way out. Ana-"He spoke into the receiver, only getting static. "Damn… "He said to himself. "Now I can't have her give me directions…."

"I thought you said you were going to find your own way out"

"Shut up!"

Simon's smile widened as he leaned into Ladron, turning the tables as he leaned on a hand placed firmly beside Ladron's head. "After the alarm has been sounded, the frequency of the alarms prevents any radio contact. Cairo has a lot of precious artifacts so you won't find any easy targets in this country. It looks like you've bit off more than you can chew."

Ladron's anger didn't waver although he became more embarrassed as he realized just how much he had missed in his and Ana's careful study of the alarm system before their heist. Now they couldn't contact one another and to get out of this without getting caught he would have to relay on the bastard who had been chasing him since he ran away from home…

"I really need to listen to her more…" he thought before looking back at Simon. "I can handle this just fine, thank-you very much!" Brushing Simon's hand off his shoulder, he proceeded to walk around the cavernous room they were locked in.

"Let's see…" he whispered to himself, pacing as he thought. Simon held back a chuckle. "Windows and doors are all locked… communications down… no ropes to climb up… not like there's anything up there… damn…" He continued to pace around until he felt two arms slip around his waist, and Simon's chin resting on his shoulder. "Get… off… of… me… "He seethed through clenched teeth.

"Let me get us out of here, and I'll let go…" he whispered, tightening his grip around Ladron's waist, nuzzling his neck. "Like I said, I _can_ be trustworthy…"

Ladron pushed against Simon's stronger hands and groaned as he realized that he wouldn't be able to maneuver a way out without the elder boy's help. His teeth clenched tight enough that his jaw threatened to shatter his molars as he spoke through them. "Lead the way Simon. But I'm warning you, any funny business and I'll knock you out and leave you here and find my own way out."

Simon grinned triumphantly as he released Ladron, his hands lingering ghostly over Ladron's fur, making him bristle with embarrassment and anger. "Wouldn't dream of it…"

end chapter

They had been walking for about 10 minutes now. Simon had revealed an old air vent underneath a rug, large enough for either of them to fit through. The older of the two had dropped down first, Ladron soon following. Although…. Ladron wasn't exactly prepared for the drop…

About a ten-foot high ceiling was were the other end of the vent was located, and Ladron fell from it with a scream, expecting a hard landing, but was surprised when Simon caught him in his arms. "Ah… I knew you'd be falling for me sooner or later…"

Another smack in the face with Ladron's cane had been the result of that comment. So now they were walking… about 5 feet from each other, down in the basement of the museum. (Ladron refused to let the other raccoon any closer).

"You didn't have to hit me, you know…" he complained, rubbing his face where he had been hit. "You could have just made a cheesy comment back, or agreed with me or something…."

"And you could've warned me about the drop you pervert. We're even." Simon stopped short, jumping backwards and taking Ladron by surprise as he hugged the raccoon's shoulders with a purr.

"I suppose that means I've got another score to rack up." He once again found himself nursing his face with a scowl as Ladron forced him to move forward, prodding him with the cane if he started to lag.

"You aren't racking up anything. Just keep your eyes on the passageway and you're mind out of the gutter."

Simon scowled and stared to the side as he felt the cane jab into the small of his back, muttering, "Yes, _mother_. You're such a drag sometimes…"

"It's only for my own safety and sanity." He retorted, crossing his arms as they continued to walk. The passageway was rather long, but eventually led to some crude, wooden stairs, which they took up to the museum's main level. The entire place was elegant, a violet-mulberry color from the sun that had set about half-hour's time before filling the room from the glass panes on the ceiling high above. "Ok, genius…" Ladron said, turning to Simon. "We obviously can't go through the front door. Where's this exit of yours?"

"Follow me" he said simply, gesturing his hand over to the far corner of the room. "we'll still have to keep a lookout for guards and security cameras, so watch your back…" Ladron nodded, following him as he set off on a dead run towards the stairs he had gestured to. The hall was mostly empty, so they had no trouble reaching the room, but when they entered the room with the escape way, Ladron could only stand and stare.

The walls were lined with cases filled with every precious gem known to geologists, and though Simon had a stronger will, Ladron had sticky fingers and couldn't help himself at the sight of the many sized jewels surrounding him. As he reached to smash the glass, Simon gripped his wrist to stop him. "Better hold that craving Ladron, the glass is safeguarded like the laser trap." He smiled condescendingly.. "I hope you aren't thick enough to fall for the same trap twice?"

He pulled Ladron along and into his arms, despite Ladron's loud complaints as he slipped up a ventilation shaft and let Ladron go. As they finally reached the small rooftop, he let him down and slipped around him to avoid his cane's swipe. He grinned as Ladron struggled to get out of his grip while Simon held Ladron's shoulders teasingly. He slipped a small ring onto Ladron's hand and kissed him softly on the cheek with a grin as Ladron blushed horribly. "You can thank me later."

It took a few seconds for what had happened to sink in.

**WHAP!**

"I had a feeling that was going to happen…" Simon said, picking himself up off the ground, a smirk still on his face. "I'll leave you to yourself now. But I'll be back for your answer soon, don't fret!" He almost sung as he jumped off the roof onto a balcony below.

Ladron just stood there, amazed at what had happened. He had just gotten his first kiss… from a guy. Maybe Ana _was_ right?

…

Nope. Defiantly not. No way. Not in a million years. Never would he fall for that hopeless, shameless flirt. He hoped, as he debated throwing the ring off the building. Deciding against it, he slipped the ring into his pocket and tried to get in contact with Ana.

"You enjoy that time with your boyfriend?" Ladron jumped as he came up to Ana and she was sitting there with a wide grin and her eyes flashed as they normally would, although Ladron would swear if her tail was longer she'd look like a dog... He desperately tried to hide his blush as she leaned in on him accusingly.

"For the last time Ana, he isn't my boyfriend! I don't even like the gay bastard!" He shut Ana's laptop with a scowl and she jumped, afraid he would break it in spite of her. "Don't take out your love frustration on my tech! We need that remember? And hey did you even get the target?" Ladron fingered the ring in his pocket and stayed silent. "YOU DIDN'T GET THE TARGET!"

"I… I was distracted, ok?" He half-lied, staring at his feet. He took the ring out of his pocket, toying with it in his hands (and making sure Ana didn't see… god knows how much she'd tease him if she found out what happened). It was a beautiful ring, plain and simple, made of gold and with a small diamond in the center. Obviously, Simon had actually done some thinking, knowing that Ladron wouldn't exactly want to wear a large, flashy ring.

Wait, since when did he decide he was going to wear the thing? He blushed, and Anastasia took notice.

"So…. What happened that made you so…_distracted?"_ she put emphasis on the last word. "Did he decide to pin you to the ground and take you right then and there?"

"HELL, NO!" He yelled, his face an even deeper shade of red, if that was possible. "WHY WOULD YOU THINK THAT HAPPENED, HUH?"

Her expression didn't change though she did drop to lean on her elbows with her grin, giving her juvenile look back instead of the yaoi-freak she was quickly becoming because of Ladron's avid stalker. "Well that strawberry you call a face is telling me that something happened between you two..."

Ladron jumped up on a cable antenna and faced away. "I want to leave, alright? Be my best friend for once and drop it." She stood up and hugged his feet sweetly. "Calm down Ladron. I'll stop if it's really bothering you. But you got to wonder, I mean you haven't killed him yet and he keeps coming back. Are you sure you're not subtly telling him to come back?"

He thought about this for a minute, everything that happened between him and the other raccoon playing in his mind like a broken record, and kept fiddling with the ring in his pocket. If he really didn't want Simon to keep showing up, why did he rely on him for help? Why did he remember everything Simon had said to him in crystal-clear memories, but still couldn't remember what Ana had said at the beginning of the conversation? Why didn't he get rid of that stupid ring?

"I don't know, Ana…" he shook his head slowly, walking away. "I honestly don't know."


	5. Diamonds and Rings, and pretty things

Authors' Note:

Nik: Holy crap! I totally forgot about this necklace! We're like fifteen chapters away from here in the currently finished part of the story and this little thing just reminded me of that! ... Oh wait.. You haven't read this chapter yet so you have no idea what I'm talking about... 

Kyoko; Yes... we were incredibly forgetful about one of our major plot points. Me being so picky, I'll have to force Nik and myself to go back and write it in sometime. You'll see what we're talking about in this chapter.

Nik: Heh, you'll notice in the following chapters that we have no fucking clue where the hell this story is going. rest assured, there are incriments of a developing plot in here... somewhere. But at the moment, its really just a budding idea in a mindless excuse to write fluff. Really, this is the only think thats keeping me from writing porn 24/7.

Kyoko; We promise, we'll have a plot for you. It's eventually developed along the way, as you'll see with a new character in the next few chapters.

Nik: You mean C... -gets mouth covered by Kyoko-

* * *

Two weeks later

"Ok, Ladron. Our next target is the Hope Diamond (yay for originality…), which is currently on tour here in India." Ana said to him as they flew over the borderline. Ladron had managed to hijack an old-fashioned plane from a shop in France, and they had spent the last week painting it with the Cooper emblem. They were kind of screwed in the transportation department, and since neither of them had identification papers to get across the border of any country, flying was their only hope.

"This plan is going to sound a bit familiar to you, Ladron" she said, checking the coordinates. "The diamond is on display at a formal ball in the area, same place as in your father's stories, if he was telling the truth the entire time. We're going to have to sneak in during the party, seeing as there's going to be less security then. That, and half the guards will be drunk."

"Y'know we really aught to try for Mexico at some point and ask them for pointers at sneaking over borders. I think we're wanted and we haven't even stolen anything of worth yet…" Ladron joked, very characteristic of his father as he leaned back in the cargo hold of the plane while Anastasia flew the plane.

"I've already programmed our next HQ into your head cam." She grinned back at him and Ladron's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"What's going on Ana?" She rested her hand on a latch and gave a salute.

"I'm dropping you off." She said simply, pressing a button on the dashboard, and the seat dropped out from beneath Ladron. "This is just like in the cartoons!" she yelled through the mic on his binocucom as he screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Ladron, you…"

"AAAAHHHH!"

"Ladron, just…"

"AAAAH!"

"YOU HAVE A PARACHUTE FOR GOD'S SAKE! USE IT!" she yelled, getting frustrated.

He quickly pulled out the paraglide from his backpack, the wind inflating it almost immediately. Ana heard a sigh of relief and rolled her eyes.

"Thanks, Ana… You saved my life…"

"Oh, cut it out. If you would have stopped screaming, you would have realized that you had the paraglider a while ago. Now try to do something right and land in the general area of your father's old hideout…" she sighed, taking the plane down slowly. "I'll land on the beach beneath the cliff an meet up with you shortly, ok?"

"Alright, fine… " He said, pulling out his goggles to look for the old building's general location. He let go of the paraglider about 10 feet from the ground, landing on his feet and taking a look around.

He pulled his goggles on quickly and jumped to a tower so that he would avoid the guards on the roofs. He automatically saw the digitally enhanced arrow pointing down to the hideout that Ana had specified. He slung across ropes put up for god-knows what reason between the towers and reached the hideout with minimal problems. "Where're you going to land the plane?" All he got was static and he shut off his contact, figuring she had turned off her own. He dropped down to the hideout and reached for the doorknob, but something stopped him… He hesitated for an unknown reason before gripping the knob, as if he knew something was wrong with what would happen if he opened it. He swung the door silently and looked inside…

Nothing. An empty room with just a few one-way mirrors that allowed them to look out at the city without anyone looking in, a round, spool-like table and three chairs with a stand for a laptop. Ladron sighed and leaned into one chair as he propped his feet on the other. "I should be less paranoid. We're in a completely different country, not even the border police saw our plane, and as far as anyone knows we are just a couple of missing kids probably wandering around France. How the hell could that bastard follow us here when the police can't?"

"Quite easily, actually…"

Ladron jumped, looking wildly around for the source of the voice, realizing after a minute that it was coming from a radio on the table, with a microphone set up next to it. "Glad I'm not actually stalking you this time, dear?" Simon's voice said, coming from the old radio. Ladron glared at it for a minute before picking up the mic and speaking into it.

"One, don't EVER call me that again, and two, can't you ever just leave me alone?" He asked, blowing into the microphone and successfully getting a yelp from Simon.

"Would you mind not blowing into that thing? I have a headset on, you know… it kills the ears…" he complained, his voice sounding strangely identical on both the mic and in real life.

"Then allow me to keep annoying you…" he retorted unenthusiastically, taking a breath to blow into the microphone again.

"Wait! Don't! I promise I won't call you 'dear' again! (not for a while, anyways)" he begged, and Ladron could see his face scrunched up in pain from the horrible microphone sounds, causing him to almost fall over laughing. "It's not funny! You try having someone blow into your ear that loudly, and then try not complaining!" he yelled, loosing his usual calm air.

"Well, if you went through all of this trouble to talk to me and you're just not going to give up, tell me what you want before I take the batteries in this thing and chuck them out the window so I don't have to hear you anymore." He said, just about ready to do just hat.

"I know your newest target is the diamond that's on display tonight…" he said, regaining his cool. "And I was wondering if you might need some assistance in the robbery."

"No _dear_ I don't. I am a Cooper and I don't need some damn stalker flirting with me the whole time when I need concentration on my mission."

Simon made a soft 'hm' sound in the mike and Ladron could just picture his condescending smirk, making him want to throw the speaker out the nearest window or at least crush it underfoot.

"What the hell are you tutting about?"

Simon was silent a moment and his voice startled Ladron with its sudden seriousness as the speaker came to life at Simons word.

"Did you like the ring?"

Ladron's face went red and he was glad that Simon couldn't see him, although knowing the bastard he probably had a few hidden cameras and more mics hidden in case Ladron did decide to destroy the one he left in plain sight. "I still have it if that's what you mean. I'm not about to throw away a perfectly good bit of value over the person who gave it to me. Though I could've done without the kiss."

Simon chuckled softly into the mic. "So you plan to sell it then?"

Ladron stared to the side and pulled the ring from his shirt (which he had recently put on a necklace), and stared at it silently. In his mind he didn't hesitate to say no, but he wouldn't give Simon the pleasure that he liked it and answered after slight hesitation. "Yea. Its just a mass of metal and a jewel. Maybe some couple will like it for a wedding ring. It certainly doesn't fit me anyway."

"So does that mean you actually tried it on? Oh Ladron, I'm touched!" he said mockingly, and Ladron could just imagine his smirking face. He dropped the ring from his hands, letting it fall against his chest.

"N-n-no! I didn't t-try it on!" He stuttered, his face a brighter red than one of the authoress' hair. "Why would I? I mean, _you_ gave it to me! Why would I do something like that?" he stopped as he heard a snicker from the headset in his ear.

"Oh, god… You've been listening, Ana? I'm gonna kill you, Damnit… And you too, Simon! Don't think I've forgotten you!" He yelled, rolling his eyes as he heard Ana laughing from outside now instead of through the binocucom. "Oh, god… my life is going to Armageddon… " he sighed as Ana walked in, grabbing the mic from Ladron's hands and speaking into it.

"Don't worry, Simon. We'll accept your help, even if your lover doesn't want to admit we need it." She laughed, blocking a punch thrown her way. "We'll see you at the ball tonight, then" and with a click, she turned off the radio and set the old-fashioned mic back down on the dusty table, sending a small cloud of dust up through the air.

"Well, now that that's solved…" she said, turning around with a smile to face Ladron and the portrait of fury on his face. "… we need to get all dressed up for tonight!" she almost sang, tearing through the many drawers and closets filled with items that lined the hideout walls. "I'm so glad I get to play dress-up again! Oh, Ladron, get over here! I need to find out what suit looks best on you! You have to be all spiffied up for your date tonight!"


	6. Black and White

Authors' note:

Nik: Yup its chapter 6! Honestly this would be more of an enthusiastic note if I actually remember what went on in this chapter.. GODDAMN this fic is long!

Kyoko: Well, we have been writing it for about... what, seven months now? Not to mention we keep writing. At least it keeps us amused! And we can't get sued for copywrite infrigment if we torture and bend our own characters to our every whim.

Nik: ... Technically they could still sue us since it takes place in the sly cooper universe...

Kyoko; Yes, but we won't have any of the original characters in it for quite a while now. And besides, we're not going to really be torutring them. And either way, Sucker Punch isn't as harsh as say... Disney on copywrite.

Nik: WALT NAZI!

Kyoko: Yeah, but with as much money as they have, and as much influence, they could likely do anything. Even take over the world with an army of their Disney-loving-minions, of which I am one.

Nik: shudder there goes half my friends into disney-zombies... And he was still a nazi...

Kyoko: Anyways, enough talk of Disney perhaps attempting to take over the world and all that reside within it. Onto taking about the actual chapter. This one was fun to write, as it was an interesting scene that we likely pulled out of combinations of other things as well.

Nik: Yea, more plot twists before we actually had a plot XD. Plus more excuses to call Simon a pervert!

Kyoko; Do we really need an excuse?

Nik: ... I guess not...

* * *

Ladron grumbled in his black and white suit. After trying on numerous colors, Ana decided that tradition looked best on someone as two-toned as a raccoon and Ladron felt strange enough as it is without his mask and having his hair done up by Anastasia. Ana herself was wearing an ash-red dress that complimented her fur.

The ballroom was absolutely gorgeous, with silk and translucent drapes of exotic colors cascading from the ceiling to the marble floor. It was quite a sight indeed.

Ana offered to dance with Ladron until they were ready to go for the diamond, and he accepted, not minding dancing with an old friend. It was an older dance that had actually originated in London back in the 1800's, a fast-paced dance, but still not that far away from a traditional waltz. After going through the dance steps once, they would switch dance partners until the song was over.

Now remember Ladron, keep that sourpuss face off the dance floor. This is a classy ball and in order to nab the diamond you're going to have to work quick and if you look like you don't want to be here you'll be suspicious and we might get thrown out! His mind kept going through the words Ana had told him before entering the ballroom as they switched partners, finding himself dancing with a tigress and Ana with a tiger.

He slowly danced over to the opposite side of the floor, switching partners as he went along. He was almost five feet from the diamond when someone took his hand again, slipping a hand around his waist. He looked up to see who had almost swept him off his feet, seeing none other than Simon, the same smirk on his face that he usually wore.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Ladron whispered, as to not draw attention to themselves. As if two guys dancing together wasn't odd enough… He tried to pull away a bit from Simon's grasp on his waist, but the older raccoon's hand rested strongly on his hip, and pulled the two of them closer as they danced. Ladron flushed as the other's face rested so close to his own, feeling every breath against his face.

"Trying to spend some time with you, of course…" he whispered back, making it sound far more intimate than if he would have spoken the words in a normal tone. "Your friend said that you could use all the help you could get, and that's exactly I'm doing; helping." He stoked Ladron's hip with his thumb as the two of them spoke and danced, the younger of the two of them sometimes tripping over his own feet.

"I don't see how this would be helping anyone else other than you…" he seethed, closing his eyes in anger.

"Oh, you'll see… Anastasia and I had this entire heist planned out, you know… Just so I could dance with you, and so you could get away with the precious gem at the same time." He told him, dragging him along with all the proper steps as if he had been dancing his entire life. "That, and so I could get a chance to talk to you…"

The dance started calling for them to dance in circles instead of the usual way as the music slowly sped up, and Simon followed the tune exactly, like he had the entire thing rehearsed. "I wanted to bring up the offer I made in Paris again… would you like to join me? It's obvious that you don't care what your parents think, seeing as you've already run away…"

"After all the torture you've put me through? I think not…" Ladron retorted, turning his face away.

"Ah, it's time for the heist…. "Simon whispered as the clock struck 10 o'clock, and the song started to come to an end. "Maybe you just need a little more time to think about my offer… and this…" He said, bring his lips down on Ladron's, letting the younger boy lean back a bit as he deepened the kiss, seeing as how Ladron wasn't exactly objecting… and the song came to it's dramatic close. The rest of the attendees standing around them had begun to clap and cheer for the musicians and (mostly) for the two boys.

Simon leaned back up, breaking the kiss with a genuine smile on his face as Ladron stared at him. "Perhaps this might be enough to change your mind…" he whispered before taking a smoke bomb out of his pocket, slamming it on the floor and sending everyone into a cloud of dust.

Ladron felt something brush against his hand as the smoke started to clear, and ran over to where the diamond was kept, only to meet Ana there. "Next time you're going to pull a stunt like that to pull off a heist, please tell me first…" told her, grabbing the Hope Diamond in his hand and running off through a back entrance. He looked down at the jewel in his hands and noticed something else; the ring that had been on the chain around his neck moments before was now on his hand.

"I take it you were successful this time?"

Ladron turned to her both bewilderedly and in anger. "What the hell are you talking about? Its right here! You saw me!" he blinked at her smug expression before scowling deeply. "Oh, you mean him. I suppose you were too busy with that tiger of yours to notice?" She smiled coyly as they lounged back at the HQ.

"No, I saw what was going on… I just wanted to remind you." She winked sweetly. "I have a feeling you're desperately trying to forget. You know I didn't see you pushing him away.. You really are encouraging him." Ladron was sitting in the sill of one of the one-way windows staring outside to avoid Ana's eyes.

'Maybe that is what I'm trying to do…' he thought, looking down at his hand, the ring still on his finger. He didn't know why he didn't take it off… or why he didn't wash out his mouth with soap. He hated Simon, right? He wanted the guy to just get off his case and leave him do be a thief. His only problem was, he knew he would miss being on constant alert for the older raccoon. And missing him, even a little bit, was exactly what he didn't want.

"I'm going out for some air. Get us a good price on that diamond, maybe we could get some new gadgets out of it." Ana stood up with a concerned look but Ladron had already left the room. He sat on the roof a few buildings away, boredly staring at the stars.

Cairo has much less lights than back in Paris, so the stars shown much brighter. He groaned to himself as he tried to get Simon out of his mind.. "Bastard follows me even in my subconscious…" he put his arms behind his head and leaned against a staircase door from the roof.

He lay there for a while, staring at the stars. He almost wished that Simon would show up like he usually would, trying to sneak a kiss out of him or something. Slowly, he nodded off to sleep, not noticing the hand that held his as he lay in slumber. Although someone else noticed. Anastasia quietly walked up the stairs to the rooftop, seeing Simon sitting there next to Ladron.

"mind if I join you?" she asked quietly, not wanting to disturb the moment between them completely. Simon nodded, turning his gaze back to the younger raccoon, stroking the back of the younger's hand with his thumb.

"Did the two of you end up like this with his consent, or did you just sneak up here while he was sleeping like the pervert you are?" she asked playfully, knowing that if Ladron was to wake up at this moment, he would be too paranoid to ever leave the hideout again.

"Ana, you should know better. If I were a true pervert…" he grinned softly as he fondly looked at Ladron. "Than I would try more than just holding his hand."

Anastasia chuckled softly, keeping her voice down for fear of waking Ladron. "Either way, you know he'd freak if you tried this while he was conscious... The poor guy is so paranoid because of you." she stifled her laugh with her hand and closed her eyes as she laughed. "Although personally I still think it's adorable. You sure you aren't being out of character by being so nice to him?" Simon's smile didn't falter as Ana teased him though he did move his free hand to rest on his propped up knee, keeping his hand in Ladron's.

"You should know that I'm not always a creep like people think I am. That wasn't your first impression of me when we first met." he said, eyes still set on Ladron. "You were right about him… he really is cute…" he laughed, but instead of a joking tone, it was almost sad.

"Don't you start angsting on me, Simon!" she said, shaking a finger at him. "I got sick of that back 4 years ago!" Simon gave another weak smile at this.

"You always were good at listening to people, though, Ana." He almost laughed. "although you were never the best at solving problems… mine really can't be solved, though, can it?" he asked, more to himself than to Ana. "it's too bad I'm going to have to turn on him…"

Ana smiled half-heartedly in an attempt to comfort him. "You could go against the grain you know. You don't have to go through with it just because of your family. I mean look at Ladron. His family ordered him to be normal. They didn't want him to be a thief, but he went right with it." She placed a hand on Simons shoulder as if to steady him. "I know you like him. And though he doesn't admit it willingly, Ladron likes you too."

Simon shrugged off the hand as he let go of Ladron's. "You know I can't do that. It's what I was born for. I am what I am." Simon stood up with a lingering caress of his fingertips across Ladron's cheek. The raccoon stirred but didn't rouse. Simon turned away from the pair as Ana twisted around to watch him. "Wake him when I leave. I don't want him to get sick..."

She nodded, watching him jump down off the roof of the building. That's when she noticed that Ladron's eyes were open.

"What was that all about?" he asked, a serious look on his face. "How do you know him? What were you talking about?" he asked, his voice shaking. He didn't know why it was, though. Was it anger? Frustration? Fear of the unknown? He didn't know. He just wanted to know what was going on and why he wasn't told about it before.

"What were you two talking about?" He asked again, more intently.

"It's none of your business what we were talking about, and if you have to know, Simon and I are old friends." Ana answered curtly, hands placed on her hips as she stood up.

"Yes, I have to know! And yes, it's my business! You two were talking about me!" He almost yelled at her. "What was that about!"

Ana chuckled as she walked back to the stairs leading back down to the hideout. "You shouldn't be so self-centered Ladron. At least you didn't wake up to another of Ladron's cheesy flirts... Or did you want him to?" She grinned knowingly as she passed him and Ladron hurried to cover a blush that enveloped his face.

"Don't avoid the subject Anastasia! You were talking about me and I want to know exactly what was said!"

Ana just waved to him as if to wave off the subject and grinned as she ignored him. "Lets get some sleep Ladron. I have to make sure you're healthy or we won't get any money and Simon'll kill me..."

He blushed an even deeper shade as he followed her down the steps. Throwing that potted plant at her head seemed like a pretty good idea right about now…

Ladron lay asleep in the cot he had fashioned out of the blankets and the empty bed frame that they had found in the back of the hideout, along with the other junk, the dawn's light shining in from the window beside him. The two of them had quite a fun time digging through the chests and closets full of clothes, gadgets, books, and other gizmos that time had flown by, and it was nearly sunrise by the time they had finally fallen asleep.


	7. A Malicious Past

Authors' Notes:

Nik: This is the next chapter! We're introducing a new character and intro the newly developed plotline. My god! We may have a future! If its got a plot, maybe it will even have an ENDING! ghasp

Kyoko: Kyoko; It's be so odd to actually put an end to this story... we've been at it for so long.

Nik: Well we haven't quite gotten that far you know.. I think we've got near to twenty chapters and still growing...

Kyoko: We've got a novel! -laughs- Not surpising, though. We love our characters. They're like our children!

Nik: Well you know one can never truely create a good novel without having a real connection to your characters. especially when they're made by you.

Kyoko: I agree. We've put a lot of ourselves into this story. We could even say Ana's fangirl-ism is based off of ourselves. (Although we promise Ana will have a larger role as the story goes on. Don't worry, for those that like her.)

Nik: Yea, we've got played out plans already finished and continued. So just be patient and it will be doled out in time .

* * *

Simon had (unbeknownst to even Ana this time), had decided that he wanted to sit on the windowsill next to Ladron's bed while the boy slept, keeping an eye on him and everything else in the small room, wishing that he could be included in it all instead of shunned so violently by the boy who was sleeping so peacefully.

"He's really quite adorable while his mouth is closed…" Simon smiled to himself as he watched Ladron sleep. Though his fond look, was interrupted by the soft clearing of a throat from a familiar voice.

"You're so affectionate aren't you Simon? You always were a kind child. Very polite, very suave, and above all a goody-two-shoes. How you could possibly pull this off I don't know. Especially with that little crush you've developed on your target. You know you're going to have to betray him right?" Simon jumped up from the sill, so as to avoid waking Ladron and walked to the center of the rooftop silently.

"I don't need your ridicule right now. Did you come for a reason or just to be a bitch?"

"Both one and two" the female voice said. Ladron looked up at her, seeing a badger, clad in dark, skin-tight clothes, leaning against the wall of the higher lever of the rooftop patio. Her dark eyes locked with Simon's bright ones, smirk on her face. "I've never given up an opportunity to annoy you at some level. You know that Simon…" The way she said his name was almost as if she was spitting out a dangerous poison.

"Why can't you and my family just leave me alone?" Simon asked, trying to keep his calm demeanor but couldn't help but clench his fists, his arms tight at his sides. "I have my own life now, and I don't want to be bugged by stupid family traditions and such. I just want to make my own future."

The fierce mammal stood up, uncrossing her legs and walking slantingly up to Simon. It was no secret that the family servant had wanted into the rich-boys pants for years. Simon looked about to bite off her hand as she tried to touch his chest below his left shoulder. "You know the masters won't allow that. They had you for one purpose only and that is to get the theivus raccoonus, humiliate the cooper family, and possibly kill the current thief of the family." She grinned maliciously.. "Just in case." Simon growled lowly, his eyes narrowed as he scowled at her, not daring to strike her for his careful training. Not to mention that he strongly believe in 'waste not want not' and never hit someone if it wasn't required for his survival or the completion of his mission.

Instead, he grabbed her wrist, pulling it away from his chest and trying to throw it as if it were detached from her arm. "I don't care what I was born for. I just care that I have something that I want to live for." He said, his eyes darting to where the window was and back to the badger. "And besides, you're a thief of sorts. Why don't you just do my family's work?" he asked, turning around and walking towards the edge of the roof, gazing at the sunrise.

"Because it's _your_ job, Simon… It's your purpose in life. This is what you live for; to get rid of the competition in thieving, and take what they have stolen! It's your history! Your entire family's history." She said, slowly walking up to him. "And besides…" she said, gently clinging to Simon's arm and tracing patterns on his chest. "…that boy's not good for you… you need someone of your own caliber, your own intelligence, someone who deserves you!" she whispered the last part, sending a chill up the raccoon's spine.

"That would _defiantly _count you out." He said, shoving her off of him again.

"You're such a tease Simon. To more than just me. Be careful you don't lead that poor little boy on too much. You might just break his feeble little spirit before you kill him." She grinned with grotesquely sharp teeth. "And you will kill him." She held a hand out at his chest as she pulled a dagger from her sleeve and pointed it at the cleft of his pectoral muscles. "Or I'll kill you. Masters orders."

Simon turned away and pushed the dagger aside. "How many times have you threatened my life? Let me do this mission my way. I don't need, nor want you breathing down my neck at every step of it."

"Fine, fine… " she almost laughed, teasingly, turning to leave. "Oh, and one more thing…" she said, turning to gaze at him out of the corner of her eye. "If you so much as think about telling him… you'll be as dead as your brother…" With that, she jumped to the next building, so smooth in her actions it seemed as if she was just walking from rooftop to rooftop.

Simon kept looking towards the horizon in the opposite direction, the silhouette of the palace they had raided the previous night dark against the bright rays of the morning sun. He let out a sigh, seating himself with his legs dangling over the edge of the flat patio roof.

Ladron shoveled cereal into his mouth as Ana walked into the room groggily. "You're up early." Ladron seemed to ignore her and she leaned on the wall with a chuckle. "Are you still angry at me because I didn't tell you I knew Simon?" Ladron continued to ignore her and so she silently crept up behind him and covered his mouth with one hand and hooked her wrist around his neck with a wide grin. She leaned her mouth close to his neck and whispered in a surprisingly well-done imitation of Simon's voice. "Don't be angry sweets... I only do what I do out of love for you."

Ladron's eyes went wide as a blush crept across his face. Ana let go of his mouth, and his cereal sprayed all over the table as he spit it out in surprise (or shock? I dunno…). "What the hell was that for!" He yelled at Ana, who was currently on the floor, laughing her heart out, at his reaction.

"Talk about denial, Ladron!" She laughed as she started to settle down a bit, managing to prop herself up on an arm. "And besides, at least I got you to listen to me!" she grinned, but then continued her fit of laughter. Ladron's face went red, more in anger than in embarrassment this time.

'Well, if you were more _honest_ with me, then I wouldn't have ignored you!" He sat back down in his chair, shoving another spoonful of cereal into his mouth, trying to ignore the giggles behind him.

"Loosen up Ladron. You've known me most of your life, you aught to know by now that I don't broadcast everything about my life like you. Had you asked I would've told you." Ladron took his anger out on the stale cereal he was eating as he crunched on it moodily.

"How the hell would I get the idea you know him? You're chummy with everyone. Especially if you can somehow hook them up with me." His eyes narrowed and he turned around in his chair to glare at her. "You did, didn't you! You hooked me up with him!" This only succeeded in making Anastasia laugh harder.

"Oh, you are SO dead!" He yelled, roughly standing up from his chair and shoving it aside. "You honestly are trying to hook me up with him, aren't you!"

"Guilty!" she managed to choke out through the laughs. This just resulted in a glare from the young raccoon.

"I swear… any more secrets or… trying to get me to fall in love with freaks, and I'll… I'll…" he thought at this. What could he do that would get Ana to behave, or actually listen to him? (good luck. You're dealing with a woman, Ladron.)

"You'll do what, Ladron?" a smooth voice said from the windowsill behind him. Simon was there with a silly smile and amused eyes, and seemed about ready to join Ana, laughing on the floor at any moment. Ladron, on the other hand, was just about as red as a tomato. What could get worse than this?

It's at this time we must remember the law of life.

"You know, Ladron… why don't you just give me a chance?" Simon asked, sliding from his seat up to the younger raccoon, sliding an arm around his waist and drawing him close.

What can go wrong…

"Yeah, Ladron. Give the guy a chance!" Ana's voice said. He could tell she was smiling. "Why don't you travel around with us for a while, Simon?" she asked, dead serious.

…will go wrong.


End file.
